> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.cstplus.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.cstplus.org/documentation/feature-reference/analytics.md).

# Analytics

The Analytics page gives you a historical view of how your channels are performing: who is watching, for how long, from where, and how much traffic is being delivered.

***

### Accessing Analytics

Click **Analytics** in the sidebar. The page defaults to the last 7 days. Use the date range picker at the top to change the window.

***

### Overview metrics

The four headline cards at the top of the page:

| Metric           | What it means                                                   |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Total sessions   | Number of individual viewer connections in the period           |
| Total watch time | Sum of all session durations across all channels and lines      |
| Peak concurrent  | The highest number of simultaneous viewers at any single moment |
| Data delivered   | Total bytes sent to viewers (HLS segments + continuous TS)      |

***

### Traffic chart

The chart below the cards shows **concurrent viewers** and **outbound bandwidth** over time, plotted by minute. Use it to spot:

* Peak hours (when to schedule re-renders or maintenance)
* Unusual traffic spikes (potential credential sharing or bot activity)
* Drops in viewership (channel issues or content problems)

***

### Per-channel breakdown

The channels table shows each channel's share of total sessions, watch time, and bytes. Sorted by sessions descending by default.

{% hint style="info" %}
A channel with high bytes but low sessions usually means a small number of viewers watching a high-bitrate stream for a long time. A channel with high sessions but low watch time may have a content or buffering problem causing early drop-off.
{% endhint %}

***

### Protocol breakdown

Shows the split between **HLS** (adaptive, most IPTV apps) and **continuous TS** (set-top boxes, some players). Useful for understanding your audience's device mix.

***

### Geographic breakdown

If geo data is enabled (MaxMind key or ip-api.com fallback), the analytics page shows a breakdown of viewers by country. Useful for checking that geo-blocking rules are working as expected.

***

### Ad performance

Available on **Pro and Business** plans. Shows below the viewer data:

| Metric               | What it means                                               |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Total impressions    | All ad breaks that fired across all channels                |
| Fill rate            | Percentage of breaks filled by a paid VAST ad (vs house ad) |
| Avg viewers at break | How many people saw a typical ad break                      |
| By channel           | Per-channel breakdown of impressions and fill rate          |

{% hint style="info" %}
Fill rate below 50% usually means your VAST ad server is returning no-fill for many requests. Check your ad server targeting settings or add more house ads as fallback.
{% endhint %}

***

### Exporting data

Click **Export CSV** to download a file with one row per viewer session. Each row contains:

* Line username
* Channel slug
* IP address
* Country
* Protocol (HLS or TS)
* Session start time
* Watch duration in seconds
* Bytes delivered

{% hint style="success" %}
The CSV export can be imported into any spreadsheet tool or BI platform (Google Sheets, Tableau, Metabase) for custom reporting.
{% endhint %}

***

### Data retention

Session records are kept for 30 days by default. Change this in **Settings > General > Session retention days**.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Reducing retention deletes old records permanently. Increasing it does not recover already-deleted records.
{% endhint %}


---

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